Best Hikes in Acadia National Park: A Complete Guide

What Makes Acadia Special

Acadia is unique among eastern national parks. The combination of ocean views, granite summits, and varied terrain creates an incredibly diverse hiking experience in a compact area. You can watch the sunrise from a mountain summit and be eating lobster rolls by lunch.

Park Logistics

• Entrance Fee: $35/vehicle (7-day pass) or use America the Beautiful Pass
• Reservations: Required for Cadillac Mountain sunrise (book early!)
• Best Time: May-October for hiking; September-October for fewer crowds
• Getting There: Fly into Portland or Bangor, drive to Mount Desert Island

1. Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail

• Distance: 7.0 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,350 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate

Cadillac Mountain (1,530 ft) is the highest point on the Atlantic coast north of Brazil. Most visitors drive up, but hiking lets you earn those views. The South Ridge Trail offers a gentler approach with open ledges and panoramic vistas.

Pro tip: For sunrise, get a timed reservation to drive up, or start hiking in the dark (3:30 AM in summer) with headlamps for an unforgettable experience.

2. Precipice Trail

• Distance: 1.6 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
• Difficulty: Strenuous / Exposed

Acadia's most famous—and most thrilling—trail. Iron rungs and ladders ascend sheer cliff faces on this former mountaineering route. The exposure is real; people with fear of heights should not attempt this trail.

Important: Closed mid-spring through mid-August for peregrine falcon nesting. Check current status before planning.

Not comfortable with ladders and cliffs? Try the Beehive Trail for a similar but less intense experience.

3. Jordan Pond Path

• Distance: 3.2 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: Minimal
• Difficulty: Easy

A beautiful, mostly flat loop around crystal-clear Jordan Pond with views of The Bubbles—two distinctive rounded mountains. The trail has some rocky and boardwalk sections but is manageable for most fitness levels.

Don't miss: Popovers at the Jordan Pond House after your hike. It's a tradition.

4. Beehive Trail

• Distance: 1.4 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: 450 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous (exposed)

A "lite" version of Precipice with iron rungs and cliff exposure, but shorter and slightly less intense. The views from the top are fantastic. Go early to avoid crowds.

5. The Bubbles

• Distance: 1.0 miles round trip (to North Bubble)
• Elevation Gain: 300 feet
• Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Quick climbs to two rounded summits with excellent views of Jordan Pond. Check out Bubble Rock—a massive glacial erratic balanced on the summit. Popular and often crowded.

6. Gorham Mountain

• Distance: 3.4 miles (loop via Cadillac Cliffs)
• Elevation Gain: 525 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate

Open ledge walking with ocean views, optional scrambling through sea caves at Cadillac Cliffs, and generally fewer crowds than Sand Beach trails. One of my favorite moderate hikes in the park.

7. Penobscot and Sargent Mountains

• Distance: 5.5 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: 1,350 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous

Sargent Mountain (1,373 ft) is Acadia's second-highest peak and arguably has better views than Cadillac with fewer crowds. The loop over both peaks offers diverse terrain and stunning vistas.

8. Dorr Mountain Loop

• Distance: 4.5 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: 1,270 feet
• Difficulty: Strenuous

Dorr Mountain sits right behind Bar Harbor and offers excellent views of Cadillac and the ocean. Multiple route options make this a flexible choice. The Ladder Trail section has some exposure.

9. Acadia Mountain

• Distance: 2.5 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: 650 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous

One of the best sunset hikes in the park. The summit views of Somes Sound—the only true fjord on the East Coast—are spectacular. The trail is steep in places but short.

10. Ocean Path

• Distance: 4.0 miles (one way)
• Elevation Gain: Minimal
• Difficulty: Easy

A stunning coastal walk from Sand Beach to Otter Cliff. Dramatic granite cliffs, crashing waves, and easy terrain make this perfect for families. Thunder Hole—where waves boom into a narrow inlet—is a highlight.

11. Carriage Roads

• Distance: 45 miles total (various loops)
• Difficulty: Easy

Acadia's broken-stone carriage roads were built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and offer beautiful, car-free walking through the forest. Eagle Lake Loop and Around the Mountain are popular routes.

12. Wonderland and Ship Harbor

• Distance: 2.8 miles (combined)
• Difficulty: Easy

Two short, flat trails through coastal forest to beautiful rocky shores. Great for tide pool exploration at low tide. Quieter than the main park areas.

• Start early. Parking fills up fast at popular trailheads by 9 AM in summer. Or use the free Island Explorer shuttle.
• Bring layers. Coastal weather changes quickly, and summits can be much windier than trailheads.
• Check trail status. Some trails close seasonally for falcon nesting or maintenance.
• Book ahead. Cadillac sunrise reservations are required and sell out weeks in advance.
• Consider shoulder season. September and early October offer gorgeous weather, fewer crowds, and fall colors.